The column was all planned out: My own Second Hundred take, the contingent of midsize firms on the list and how firms maintain a long-term trajectory of moving up or down.

But a recent piece from the editorial board of one of our regional brands, the Connecticut Law Tribune, diverted me. In it, the board, made up of nearly 30 attorneys, issues as strong a rebuke as I’ve seen against the so-called Paul Hastings slide.